Indonesia does not rest players for the match against Vietnam

Coach Herdman stated that Indonesia will use its best available squad for the Timor Leste match, not holding back for the upcoming game with Vietnam.

Coach John Herdman asserted that Indonesia will have a full-strength squad when facing Timor Leste in Group A of the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 at Chonburi on July 31 at 17:00.

The six-time runner-up aims to follow up their opening victory over Cambodia with another win.

Striker Mitchell Baker scored a hat-trick in his national team debut, helping Indonesia crush Cambodia 5-1 in Bogor on Monday. However, the English tactician remains cautious ahead of the clash with Coach Ze Pedro's side.

"Our preparation has gone very well. All players came through the opening match without any injuries, which is always positive, so I have a full squad to choose from.

We are very excited for this game, but we also understand it will not be easy. We had to travel a long distance to play here, while Timor Leste has already played two matches. They have been battle-tested and have adapted to the tournament's rhythm," Coach John Herdman stated.

Timor Leste qualified for the group stage through the playoffs. They suffered a heavy 0-7 defeat to Vietnam in their opening Group A match before showing significant improvement in a 0-2 loss to Singapore on Monday.

That improvement was also noted by Herdman, as the former Canada coach emphasized that his players must not be complacent, despite Indonesia being expected to win.

"Every match is different. Timor Leste is improving with each game in the tournament, and I think they played very well in their last match.

They are gradually understanding the tempo and intensity of the competition, so I believe we will face a stronger Timor Leste. After two games together, the players will understand the tactics and their teammates better in the third match. Therefore, we must absolutely not underestimate Timor Leste.

This is not about scoring as many goals as possible. The important thing is to take all three points. This is tournament football, and our goal is to show our best version while improving on our performance from the previous match."

Baker's three-goal performance drew much attention after Indonesia's opening match, but Timor Leste coach Ze Pedro quickly emphasized that Herdman's team has many other threats besides the 19-year-old striker.

"We expect another tough match because we will face a very strong team. Indonesia had a very convincing victory over Cambodia in their last match. They are very well organized and will certainly be determined to get another win.

However, we must focus on our own objectives. We will try to give our best, maintain organization, discipline, and concentration, while hoping for a positive performance in tomorrow's match.

"We cannot focus on just one player, even though Mitchell Baker scored three goals in the previous match. After analyzing Indonesia's play, we see that they operate very effectively as a collective and have great collective strength.

They are especially dynamic in attack, which can cause opponents to fall into disarray and make them a very difficult team to defend against."

The match between Timor Leste and the Indonesian national team will take place at 17:00 on July 31 at Chonburi Stadium (Thailand).